RESTAURNAUT / WICA INTINA split "That Too Long Hour Never Dim Enough To Sleep" C62 (Kerchow Records)

Unapologetically Raw and Simple, Nick Dolezal AKA Restaurnaut AKA head honcho over at Kerchow Records in Chino, CA draws his power from being both intimate AND anthemic, kicking out simple yet freakfolktastic ditties that cannot be ignored, with all the candor, Lo-Fi aesthetic, and insight of early Modest Mouse demos and Daniel Johnston! His half-hour side is captivating, inspiring, and not to be missed, if the earliest Devendra Banhart tickles your fancy. I know I’m referencing a lot of others, but those others were pretty great, and so is this, only, like, y’know, different.

Side B, Wica Intina, is almost the reverse. Though equally as intimate and honest, it comes off like your best friend pouring their heart out (via folk guitar) after a long, monotonous day. It’s real. Depression is rough. Being real is rough. And depressing. As is this side.

If you’re lucky enough to grab this tape before it sells out, you’re in for a wild ride, and then a sobering one. Nice pairing Kerchow!!! Comes with a fancy lyric sheet, as shown below.

https://restaurnaut.bandcamp.com/album/that-too-long-hour-never-dim-enough-to-sleep

-- Jacob An Kittenplan

RESTAURNAUT “Birth” C30 (Rok Lok Records)

There’s a certain kind of person who is able to enjoy a band/artist like Restaurnaut (definitely [sic]), but I am not that kind of person. In fact, I could barely get beyond track 1 before this thing bore into my skull like an unwanted parasite. The press describes Restaurnaut as “an indie jug band as it revels in playing a unique, hodge podge brand of bedroom pop that is as infectious as it is adventurous. With a ukulele, a drum machine, layers of vocals and touches of keyboard, Restaurnaut's Nick Dolezal creates a brand of lo-fi bedroom pop that has a folk ting at times.” Yeah, I like the sound of that OK – an indie jug band! I wish it were that simple. It’s just that the vocals are mixed so high that every little nuance and flaw is magnified so greatly that it’s impossible for me to enjoy. I do warn, this comes from a person who would rather not read lyrics – lyrics and vocals ruin a song far easier than instrumentation or recording technique. Best leave ’em cloaked in something, mix ’em down, or get rid of ’em altogether.

I did not like this tape. Doesn’t mean it’s not for you, you fan of “Furniture Huschle, Half Handed Cloud, and Charlie McAlister,” you. (Quote from press materials.)

Rok Lok Records

Birth Bandcamp page

--Ryan Masteller

RESTAURNAUT"When The Hue Was More" (Almost Halloween Time Records)(Kerchow!)(Stagnant Fjord Recordings)

Restaunaut is defined as “One who very commonly eats out, and is recognized easily by waitstaff.” It is also the alias for Nick Dolezal of Fresno, CA. This cassette falls roughly in the middle of his discography which include 14 albums, most of them recorded over the past year or so. Most of his work is pretty freak-folky, heavy on acoustic guitar, and I believe, ukulele and xylophone. This tape however, seems more focused on squeezing the last few decibels from a dying keyboard. For the most part, it works as quirkiness is well complemented by Daniel Johnston style vocals. It is worth noting the important difference, that the vocals here are more deliberate; like he’s writing songs because he wants to rather than Johnston writing songs because he has to – though the songs are no worse for the distinction.

One other thing I would point out is the questionable decision to passively brag about stealing from a charitable organization in the liner notes. He does this while referring to a sample he uses of a boy singing lifted from a tape, which in turn was lifted from Goodwill. How this bold move will play out in the national press remains to be seen, but I’m willing to forgive him as I know from experience that Fresno, CA is a terrible, terrible place.

There are some pretty solid pop melodies here. The highlights are “The Little Man” on Side A and “Pin Missile” on Side B ,which is like a symphony-to-scale compared to the rest of the cassette. The one real lull is the song “Spittoon” on Side B. I’m not sure what the point of the song is but maybe you can figure it out. Fans of Son of Salami and superfans of Ariel Pink are very likely to enjoy this album.

http://restaurnaut.bandcamp.com/album/when-the-hue-was-more

--Travis Long

The handwritten note that came with this tape said "I am Restaurnaut and I make horse music."  Just thought that might be helpful... -ed.